Won US Navy VFX fighter competetion
15 January 1969; first flight of 12 development aircraft 21 December
1970; original programme was for 497 Tomcats including 12 development
aircraft; programme since extended into 1990s.

Initial F-14A deployed with
USN squadrons VF-1 and VF-2 October 1972; total 557 including
12 development aircraft, delivered to US Navy bu April 1987,
when production ended; final 102 aircraft (beginning 161, 597)
delivered from FY 1983 powered by improved TF30-P-414A turbofans,
having same rating as original 93 kN.

Design Features

Wing sweepback variable from
20° leading-edge to 68°; oversweep of 75° used for
carrier storage without wing fold; wing point 2.72 m from aircraft
centerline; fixed glove has dihedral to minimise cross-sectional
area and reduce wave drag; small canards on F-14A known as glove
vanes extend forward progressively to 15° from inboard leading-edge
to balance supersonic trim change and unload tail surfaces.

The F-14 "D" model uses the APG-71 digital radar. The
APG-71 is Hughes development of AWG-9 with monopulse angle tracking,
greater Electronic Counter Countermeasures (ECCM) capability
through new antenna, and high-speed digital signal processor
originally developed for the APG-70 radar used in the F-15 Eagle.
A General Electric AN/AAS-42 Infrared Search and Tracking (IRST)
system operates in the 8-12 micron range and is intended to complement
the Television Camera System (TCS). The first IRST is planned
for delivery in Fall 1991. The APG-71 will also be continually
modified. Inclusion of a Joint Tactical Information Distribution
System (JTIDS) would allow 1 F-14D to pass on its radar-generated
information to other, "silent" F-14s.

The Phoenix missile has a range
of over 100 miles, and the Tomcat's powerful AWG-9 (F-14A) pulse-Doppler
radar can track up to 6 targets at once. With the AIM-54 and
AWG-9 working in tandem, the F-14 Tomcat can shoot down an aircraft
without even being seen by the enemy. The AWG-9 is a pulse-Doppler,
multi-mode radar with a designed capability to track 24 targets
at the same time while simultaneously devising and executing
fire control solutions for 6 targets. The cockpit is fitted with
a Kaiser AN/AVG-12 Head-Up Display (HUD) co-located with an AN/AVA-12
vertical situation display and a horizontal situation display.
A chin mounted Northrop AN/AXX-1 Television Camera Set (TCS)
is used for visual target identification at long ranges. Electronic
Support Measures (ESM) equipment include the Litton AN/ALR-45
radar warning and control system, the Magnavox AN/ALR-50 radar
warning receiver, Tracor AN/ALE-29/-39 chaff/flare dispensers
(fitted in the rear fuselage between the fins), and Sanders AN/ALQ-100
deception jamming pod.

Cockpit upgrades include a Kaiser
HUD using a combining glass and having a 30- x 23.5-deg field
of view, Multi-Function Displays (MFD) similar to those fitted
in the F/A-18 Hornet, Hands-On-Throttle-And-Stick (HOTAS) "switchology".
The analogue Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) is due to
be replaced by a triple-redundant digital AFCS; other control
system upgrades include digital wing and flap controllers, an
aileron-rudder interconnect, and digital automatic power compensation.

Missions
In early February. The Tomcats took part in Operation Desert
Storm providing CAP (Combat Air Patrol) for bombers and other
aircrafts as well as performing TARPS (Tactical Air Reconnaissance
Pod System) missions. 100 F-14s flew 3,401 sorties as Combat
Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft from 5 carriers during the air assault
on Iraqi targets that began Operation Desert Storm; another 781
sorties were devoted to TARPS. One F-14 was gunned down by ground
fire, but no other F-14 was lost. Only one combat kill was credited
to a Tomcat using the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile to
target down an Iraqi Mi-8 "Hip", a Soviet-made transport
helicopter. The rapid dismemberment of the Iraqi air defense
system by coalition air attacks grounded virtually all Iraqi
aircraft, leaving the F-14s with few aerial targets.

19 August 1981. Libya. Khadafi
sends two Sukoi Su-22 fighter jets to take on a couple of United
States fighter jet over the Gulf of Sidra. F-14 Tomcats from
the carrier USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) shot down the 2 Libyan Su-22
Fitter aircraft during the encounter.

On 10 October 1985, 4 F-14 Tmcats
from the aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA (CV 60) forced an EgyptAir
Boeing 737 to land at Sigonella Air Base in Sicily. The airliner
was carrying the 4 terrorists who hijacked the cruise ship ACHILLE
LAURO and killed an American.

On 4 January 1989, 2 F-14 Tomcat
from the carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 67), then off the island
of Crete in the Mediterranean, intercepted 2 Libyan MiG-23 Flogger-E
aircraft and downed them both, 1 with a radar-guided Sparrow
AAM and the other with an IR-seeking Sidewinder. The US pilots
claimed to have seen 2 parachutes.

On January 15th, 1986, Khadafi
challenges the US Naval forces by sending two MiG-23 Floggers
to test the American military and find out how far they could
push the US. The MiG's vectored on two A-6 Intruder's, after
which the A-6's turned away, and two F-14 Tomcat's on CAP were
sent to meet the MiG's head-on. Previous encounters with the
Libyan Air Force resulted with the Libyan aircraft turning tail,
and returning back to Libyan airspace. This encounter was not
going to end so easily. What is probably the most publicized
air-combat sequence took place and lasted over 6 minutes, an
eternity to the pilots and RIO's flying the two Tomcat's involved
in this battle. The end result was still the same, however. US-4,
Libya-0.

In late 1995, the F-14 Tomcat
took on a new, and completely different role in military combat
over targets in Bosnia...they became bombers. Dubbed "Bombcat's",
these new bombers dropped LGB "smart bombs" while other
aircraft painted the targets with lasers.